Python Basic Course (1 What is Python)

What is Python

Python is a programming language that appeared in 1991. It has the following features.

Free software and Open source
Cross-platform
[Interactive Shell](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%82%A4%E3%83%B3%E3%82%BF%E3%83%A9%E3%82%AF%E3 % 83% 86% E3% 82% A3% E3% 83% 96% E3% 82% B7% E3% 82% A7% E3% 83% AB)
Incorporates many useful ideas from past programming languages
There are many libraries available for scientific computing and machine learning.

Due to these characteristics, it is widely used mainly in Europe and the United States. It is also used with Java as a language that can be used in Google App Engine. Youtube and Dropbox are also written in Python. Surprisingly, the popular simulation game "Civilization 4" is also written in Python.

You may have heard that "Python is easy to learn" among those who are reading this page now. There are several reasons why Python is said to be good for learning.

Simple because there are few reserved words
Easy to understand because instructions that perform the same processing can be executed with the same name
It is easy to understand what the code is doing by forcing Indent.

"Forced indentation" is often talked about as a major feature of Python.

◆ Example: Factorial program written in C language

`factorial.c`


int factorial(int x)
{
    if (x == 0) {
        return 1;
    } else {
        return x * factorial(x - 1);
    }
}

◆ C language program that returns the same result, but difficult to understand

`factorial.c`


int factorial(int x) {
 if(x == 0) {return 1;} else
 {return x * factorial(x - 1); } }

◆ Factorial program written in Python

`factorial.py`


def factorial(x):
    if x == 0:
        return 1
    else:
        return x * factorial(x - 1)

◆ Writing like this will result in an error

`factorial_ERROR.py`


def factorial(x):
    if x == 0: return 1 else:
return x * factorial(x - 1)

Also, in the salary ranking by programming language as seen from the job offer There is also Survey results that won the 1st place.

The Python name comes from a comedy show produced by the British television station BBC. It is "Flying Monty Python".

The reptile python, which means the English word Python, is the Python mascot. It may be used as an icon. python.sh-150x150.png

Next: Python Basic Course (2 Python Installation)